Brickmaking apparatus.



I. P. B. PISKEJ BRIGKMAKING APPARATUS.

nrmcumx Hun JAN. 2, 1901.

Patented Nov. 8, 1910 8 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

"H l l J. P.. B. PISKE. BBIGKMAKING APPABATUS. APPLICATIOH II LD I. 2,1907.

Patented Nov. 8, 1910 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lg J flawvagg.

wwsses: @uJaL JONATHAN 1. B. FISKE,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC 01: NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TORAYMOND C. PENFIELD, I' NEW YORK, N. Y.

BBICKMAKING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern: I

Beit known that I, JONATHAN P. B. FISKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newton. in the county of Middlczex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in llrickmaking Apparzn tus,of which the following dmcrtption, in connection with the accompanying(trawings, is a specification, like letters on the Specification ofLetters Patent.

l I l I racks in connection with an overhead carrier capable oftransporting a large load or unit of stacked bricks. The kilns areazfzmged end to end in series of live or m re. I superiinpose on the topof the burning bricks a series. preferably two. of green bricks, the

' lower of said two seri s bent;- previously partially dried. thissupcrposing of green bricks enabling me to dry the bricks in thepresence of moist air which is tempered-b the upward draft of hot airthrong i the entire mass of brick: so that not only does the moisture inthe air vary, decreasing downward toward the burning bricks at thebottom, but it. gradually diminishes as the supcrposed sciies of bricksday out. in other words. the bricks are driul out in perfectly temperedfair, which automatically varies to meetthe requirenu-nts of thechanging condition of the bricks lllllll?-tfl\'i l. llavin; filled thelower portion of the. kiln with dried bricks. I put first the lowerremovable rack in position and then cover itwith a bricks having beenremoved, the top series in the nest tier then placed on the lower rackof the first her just above the burning bricks. The top rack of saidsecond tier is then put in position on the first, tier above thepartially dried bricks thus placed (which were just taken from said rackin its former position) and is then loaded with reen bricks from thebrick machine. The ried bricks from the lower rack of the second tierare then removed and used for (.lling the bottom of another kiln forburning. This leaves the rack at said second kiln emptv and it isthereupon tilled with partiall y dried in ks from the top rack of thethird tier, said rack being then moved into position over said bricks atthe second tie? and filled with green bricks. The dried bricks from thethird tier are now placed with the other loads of dried brie -s from thepreced ing tiers in the other kiln for burning, and the bottom rack isfilled with partially dried bricks from an convenient source, as forinstance from the top series of the first tier, or in case'there aremore than three tiers, then from the top of the fourth tier. A rack isthen placed above these bricks and is loaded with-green bricks. Thisprocess is continued in rotation until the kiln is entirely. burned andsubstantially cool. the heat from the burning and cooling being used fordrying and the dried and partially dried bricks on the removable racksbein removed. by my apparatus, in the midst ethe burning operation.

Roughly stated it takes about three davs for \vatersinoking bricks,during which t a gases therefrom cannot be used for drying purposes asthey are too moist, and it takes complement of partly dried gree bricks.then placin; the top or upper rack in position, which in turn i. coveredwith a complelnentof green br it takes mu h longer to burn bricks thanto dry them. the two upper series m1cmiiph-nn'nts of bricks will beremoved and others take their place during one burning. For this purposepref era dy the bri l-1- are 'ar ai; l in thrown! more tit-rs in the kln and the r. -k.\ are made approximately three days for settling andthree days for cooling. The heat from the settling or burning and thecooling is used for drying green bricks in my process and the kiln whichis waters-melting does not have any complements of superposed bricks. Bymy invention not only is the handlin of the bricks continuous, but I amenable to 1 dr the bricks on a burning kiln where a ftt'l else andfreedom, thereby utilizing the heat to the best advantage and effectingde-, in cut responding sections. The end tii r of t t-i-lcd economics. 1

Patented Nov. 8, 1916. 7 Application filed January 2, 19:17. Serial 2%.350,359. i

smoking, the fourth being filled and the fifth being" emptied. Thisenables me to keep the same-series of operations going on continuouslyand progressively, using the kilns in 'rotation and each time filling aforward kiln with the dried bricks from the second and third kilns backwhile the intervening kiln" (which has just been loaded with itscomplement of dried bricks) is we tersmoking during its preliminaryburning.

As soon as the bottom of said forward kiln (which we will suppose is thefourth) has been filled with dried bricks, as stated, from i the firstand second kilns, the watcrsmoking commences. lvieanrvhile thewa-tersmoking of the third kiln having been finished its bottom racksare filled with the partially dried bricks from the next kiln back, 'i.e., the second kiln, and ti. top racks are then placed in position andfilled with green bricks from the brick machine. By this time the nextkiln fartherahead, 2 6., the fifth kiln,=has been entirely'em tied andis in turn filled with dried bricks mm the second and third kilns (z'.0., the two kilns just backof the one last filled, which was thefoiirth) and the watersmoking of the fifth kiln is commenced. The lower,removable,

racks are then put in place in the fourth kiln when tho-latter has beenwatersmoked, and

are filled with partially dried bricks from the third kiln, the topracks are then putin position and filled with green bricks. Meat whileitwill be understood that in each kiln .the rotation of movements firstexplained has been going on, with the result that the cooling andsettling. kilns are kept approximately filled. In each case the heatfrom the burning and the cooling does all the necessary dryingwithoutthe use of any separate drier as heretofore commonly emp ioyed.This eliminates not only the separate drier structure, but all theaccompanying furnaces, steam pipes, air-circulation fans and stacks,savesthe extra fuel, labor, etc. The green bricks being at the topreceive the moist air from the lower bricks, which tempers the dryingair for said upper bricks, the moisture gradually diminishing and theair becoming gradually drier and drier as the two upper series'of bricksdry out. This prevehts the cracking of the green bricks which would takeplace if they were laced at once on the lower rack. To give ad edcapacity and to enable the racks to be transferrd from kiln to kiln atthe proper time 60 and in the proper sequence, and to insure the propertempering of the air and sequence of dried-and partially dried.brieks,-I employ a plurality of racks and divide the bricks into threehorizontal series, viz.. one

615 of burned bricks, another of partially dried bricks which are beingcompletely dried, and a third QfCgreen bricks which are being partiallydrie The constructional details of my apparatus will-be more fullyunderstood from the following description thereof taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown one simpleembodiment of my invention, which however is capable of a. Wide varietyof embodiments.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is stop plan tary plan view of a portion ofone of the view of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a fragmenmovable racks; Fig.3 is'a perspective view of a. portion of the carrier; Fig. 4: is an en--larged transverse sectional view of thespparatus; and Fig. 5 is anenlarged longitudinal sectional view, thereof. j

I first construct a series of kilns, herein designatedes 1, 9., 3, 4,res ectively, each comprising opposite side wal 5, 6, havingintermediate ledges or any convenient means of support 7 andtop ledgesor sup porting means 8. I prefer that these supporting means 7 and 8shall be formed as a part of the well, although if a. scoved kiln isused (in which the wall is built 11 .separately each time the kiln isload the supporting function of the ledges 7 and 8 may be performed byroviding any form of rigid frame or hol ing means for sustaining thesuperposed brick bodies as will be further explained later on. Thesekilns may have any suitable kind of firing means known in the art, beingherein shown as having firing arches 9 provided with grates 1G and lireholes 11. At the opposite sides of these kilns I provide raised tracks12and supporting frames 13, on which travels an overhead crane 14supporting a brick lift or carrier 15 having hook-shaped fingers 16, andlowered and raised by a usual crane engine or electric hoist apparatusl'Lby chains 18 passing over pulleys 19. This apiamtus may be of anyusual kind, prefers y suclr as shown and escribed in my Patent No.646,207 of Mar 27, 1900, and which therefore need not be .hereinexplained in further detail. On the bottom of the-kiln} preferablyprovide a usual fixed layer 20 of tire bricks to receive the brickswhich are to be burned, and for the ledges or other so porting" means 7I provide removable rec s The bricks are provided by any suitableapparatus, as by a brick machine 27 delivering to a belt 28 adjacent abrick cutter 29, the

support 8, 8.

freshly cut bricks being transferred from the belt 2 to stacking standsor stations 30. 31, as explained in my before mentioned patent. Eachrack is provided with centrally arranged longitudinal lifting bars 32,33 arranged apart sutliciently to permit the rack to balance on thehook-shaped fingers 16 of the brick lift and yet arranged to leavesufilwziently long openings at either side thereof to permit the hooksto enter between the beams 26 to engage said bars .32, 33. As each ki nis filled with its complement of dried bricks to be burned, a usualplaning 34 of bricks or bricks and clay is pissed overthe same. and itwill be understood that in (also permanent side Walls are not used, thetemporary side walls' may then be built, and the removable end walls 35.3' are then placed in position to close the ends of the kilns, saidwalls being either of a temporary or permanent character, preferably inpractice the former.

For cl arness 0. understanding I will first describe the system ofrotation of handling the bricks with reference to an individual seriesC. B respectively, the remaining se the last tier to the leftare thentaken from I that tier and placed onthe bottom rack of the second tier.The rack thus left empty is then pla ed over the bricks just placed inthe second tier and filled with green bricks ries being indicated as A.Let it be supposed that, the kite is full, as shown, the brick liftfirst P01116313; one of the upper bodies. say from the right hand tierof partially dried bricks to its proper place in another kiln and thenremoves the rack. which is thus left empty; The body of bricks I) in thesame tier i carried to a kiln which is being filled. Next the top bodyof bricks c from the next tier to the left is removed from that tier andplaced on the rack of the first tier ed. The top rack from this sec- .sthen placed in posit-ion over the bricks on the first tier and filledwith green bricks fmxn the brick machine. The. bricks b-from the secondtier are then carried to the kiln which is bein r tilled. The bricksfrom from the brick machine. The remaining bricks 7;. 2', from thebottom of the third tier, are then taken to the kiln which is beingfilled. Tbereupon the same process takes place with reference to thenext adjacent kiln and the top body of bricks from its right hand tieris placed on the empty bottom rack of the last tier mentioned in theother kiln. and the toprack which previously supported said bricksis'moved into position above them. The same series of operations takeplace in this second kiln which I have just explained in detail for thefirst kiln. The superposed bricks in the first kiln having remainedthere the desired length of time for drying. the operation is repeated.The above rotation of ricks is continued on each kiln duringthe settlingperiod and also during the cooling period,

therefrom. body b body to the kiln ahead which is being filled, thepartially dried bricks taking the place in each instance of the driedbricks thus removed. and green bricks taking the place of the partiallydried bricks as the latter are transferred from the top series C to themiddle series B, and the successive bodies 6 of dried bricks transferredto the kiln which is being filled, thus becoming, the series A.

It will be understood that the kilns may be larger or smaller than Ihave indicated, with the result that the procedure will take place moreexpeditiously or less expeditiously accordingly. In any event. the.brick lift takes successive units of stacked green bricks from thestands 30,31 and deposits the same on racks 24 until one body of a giventier is completed. Similarly the brick lift takes partially dried bricksunit by not from a rack 24 and deposits them on a rack 21 until theentire body for that. tier is completed. And the brick lift likewisetakes successive units of the stacked dried bricks from a rack '21 anddeposits them on the-fixed' bottom layer 20 of the kiln which is beingfilled: As the latter holds more dried bricks than one series ll. thseries A is not completed until the dried iricks from more than oneseries It have been deposited.

ll will be understood that the number of kilns required and the numberin operation at any given time depends upon the speed with which it isdesired to push the manufacture.

y invention resides in steaming and dryin: green bricks by placing themon a burning kiln and transferring them in segregated bodies while thekiln is still burning or cooling, said bricks being transferred in suchorder or sequence that the bricks next these partially dried bricks andget the bencfit of the moisturorsteaming process derived from theintermediate partially dried bricks. This not only greatlyifacilitatesthe drying process, but it' prevents the cracking of the bricks due totoo sudden drying, and

f be capable of transmitting freely the drying and st-eamin heatdirectly from the burning or cooling bricks to the; superposed 5 bricks,as explained. f As already intimated, the form of kiln may vary, andalthough I prefer that both ends shall be open, the front end may beclosed. The purpose of leaving the rear end of. the kiln open is't'opermit the hooks of the brick lift to drop out readily from the last rov of bricks when placing the latter and to. enter-readily beneath thefirst row of bricks when'rempvirig the bricks. Acc'ordingly it will beevident that all that is required is. a proper open space'to permit therequired movement of the brick lift. I prefer to accomplish this byleaving the end of the kiln open, although it will be understpod that itmay-be accomplished otherwise. i

It will be evident that by my apparatus I am enabled to maintain aconstant move ment of various portions of the bricks dur serve the samefor a copending application. -Hav1ng described my invention, what Iclaim as new anddesire to secure by Letters of bricks between the rapierportions of said Patent is,

1. Tn a brick making apparatus, a kiln having provision for burning alower complement of dried bricks, said kiln having an open top, a rackfor supporting above said open top a load of bricks above the burningbricks, and supporting means for supporting said rack directly'abovesaid burning bricks.

In a brick making apparatus, a kiln having, provision for burning alowercomplemcnt of dried bricks, a removable rack for supporting a load ofbricks above the burning bricks,'and supporting means for snpgmrtingsaid removable rackdirectly above said burning bricks.

3. In a brick making apparatus, a kiln having provision for burning alower-complemcnt of dried bricks, arack for supporting a load of bricksabovetheblu'ning bricks,

supporting means for supporting said. rack direqtly above said burningbricks, a second I do not herein claim the method, but rerack forsupporting a second body of bricks to be dried, and so porting means foren porting said-secon rackjdirectly above t e ricks on the first rackin: position to receive the heated gases from the first mentionedburning bricks, f A

4. In a. brick making apparatus, a kiln having provision forburning alower complement of dried bricks, a removable rack or supporting a loadof bricks above the burning bricks, supporting means for supporting saidremovable rack directly above' said burning brims, a second removablerack for supporting a second body of bricks to be dried, and supportingmeans "for su 30 porting-said second removable rack direct y above thebricks on the first removable rack in position to receive the heatedgases from the first mentioned burning bricks.

5. In a brick making apparatus, the com- 35' bination with a kiln havingpermanentside walls, provided with supporting means adapted to receive arack and permit the same to be moved bodily therefrom with a load ofbricks, of said brick-supporting rack adapted to support a large mass ofsuperposed bricks, sald rack consisting of a horizontal open-workplatform, permanently united together as a whole, and lifting meanspermanently secured to said platform in po- .sition to be out of contactwith said super;

posed mass of bricks when stacked on the platform, said lifting meanshavin a lateral width relatively to said platform for giving stabilit ofposition to theplatfonuwhenaOO said li ting means is engaged by araising device for transporting the, rack audits load of bricks from thekiln.

6, In a brickxmaking apparatus, a kiln .having permanent side walls,normally openfat the top, said sidewalls having supporting meansintermediate their height and a removable rack for supportmga complementside walls above said rac 7. In a brick makingapparatus, a kil forburning bricks, having permanent side,

walls provided with rack supports interme-' diate their top' and bottom,and a, removable rack;'"through which the heat and products .ofcombustion can pass among the bricks, adaptedto rest on saidintermediate rack I sqpports of said walls and arranged to re- CQWG acomplement of brir zks thereon, permitting the bodily removal of theracik and briclm tdgether from the kiln.

'8. In abrick making apparatus, --a kiln having permanent sidewalls,said side wallshaving supporting means intermediate their height andalso adjacent their tops, and separately removableracks for resting onsaid respective supporting means. 9. lna brick making apparatus, aseries of kilns in line with each other, a brick carrier, an overheadtraveling means for sup- 1 i o i l i I longitudinally over said seriesof kilns each kiln hav'ing a lower burning eounnutnien! and provisionfor an upper drying com- 5 jgartment. and ren'mvable bottoms in the tormof heat-transmit!ing rat-ks for receiving bricks to be drietl. saiilracks being changeable from one kiln to another. ainl said carrierhaving; means for so removing 10 said racks from one kiln to another amlinbody from said racks.

It). In a brick making apparatus. a series of open top brick kilns, abriek supporting: '15 rack in one kiln removable tberefmm to a similarposition another kiln, means for bodily moving said racks, Stl'itl kilnshaving bottom brick burning compartments :nnl supporting means for saidracks above fitlltl -2O burning compartments.

v g 11. In a brick making apparatus, a series of open top briek kilns. aplurnllty of brick 1:: I supporting racks in one kiln m-zlivlduallr remoable. therefrom to any other kiln, means for bodily moving Stlitl racks,said kilns having bottom brick burning compartments and a plurality ofseparatul snppii rting means above said burning eomparnnents '1 forsupporting said plurality of racks in a iit 2i -i porting sairl carrierand guiding the same eluding lifting means to lift bricks in n loads toand between the kilns.

' 13. In 1;. brick making apparatus, a series of open top brick kilns, abriek supporting rack in one l-ziln removable therefrom to a similarposition in another kiln. means for bodily moving said rat-is. saidkilns having bottom brie-l; burning compartments and supporting meansfor Silltl "tlCkS above said burnin; compartments; said moving meansincluding means for earrying the bricks in stacked loads to and betweenthe kilns.

In testimony whereof. I have signed my name to this speeitieation. inthe presence of two subseribing a'itn' JOXA'rIL-YX P. 1. l-ISKI-I.

Witnesses:

G20. I-I. .Jixu'nm,

n. J. PIKE.

